Lelliana Reddigan
“Lelliana's skin was a bit too fair, and lightly freckled around the nose. Her thin, pretty face and demure behaviour suggested a girl who, while attractive, was rather unremarkable due to her passiveness. However, in contrast to her appearance, her deep blue eyes held a raging fire that Valindra found infinitely compelling. It provided the young queen with a nontraditional commanding presence, far different and less obtrusive than the booming and violent Soldras, or other conquering kings of old.” —Valindra Nightsage describing Lelliana Lelliana Reddigan is the Queen of Agathor, leader of the Imperial Remnant and Herald of the Council of Kings. She is the daughter of Terald and Latherine Reddigan. Originally married to King Alathod, Lelliana was granted the position of Queen of Agathor upon his death due to a lack of Agathori heirs. She is famous for her execution of her father due to issues of insubordination within the Council of Kings. To both her allies and enemies she has become known as "Lelli the Red", a grim reminder of her execution of her own father. Appearance Lelliana is of average height with pale skin and fiery red hair cropped short. Her face is described as being "...unusually beautiful for a Reddigan, slim with soft features, in stark contrast to the sluggish visages of her ancestors." Her body is without much muscular tone or fat, making her appear very thin. Undoubtedly her most prominent feature is her striking eyes. Alathod describes them as being "...too deep and worn for a girl of her age, but remarkably fierce all the same." Many find Lelli's glare uncanny and intimidating, providing her with a way to compensate for her lack of physical and vocal presence. Early Life "Did I wrong the Goddess in some way to deserve this punishment?" '' —Latherine Reddigan, minutes after Lelliana's birth Lelliana was born in Nyralore, during a great feast held by King Agathon III. Lelli's mother Latherine had been noticeably with child for several months preceding the feast, but Terald greatly encouraged her attendance. Shortly after her birth, Terald and Latherine returned with Lelliana to Reddigan Keep. While her father cared for her deeply, Latherine despised her daughter from a young age, instead choosing to constantly favour Lelli's older brother Renfry. This led to Lelli being treated closer to a bastard daughter than a true blooded Reddigan for much of her childhood. When Lelli was twelve years old, her father paid the daughter of one of the keeps servants to befriend Lelli. The girl's name was Tabitha, and Terald believed that giving a Lelli a friend would help alleviate her constant feeling of loneliness and isolation. The two become fast friends and spent much of their time alone, exploring the woods around Reddigan Keep. After several years of friendship, Tabitha and Lelli became romantically involved, and constantly snuch off into the woods to make love. Lelli never told anyone of her relationship with Tabitha, fearing her mother's wrath. But eventually Latherine grew suspicious of her daughter, and one day sent a guard to follow the girls. The guard found them making love in a ruined watch tower, and forcefully returned them to the keep, kicking and screaming. The two were brought before Latherine, who in her husband's absence, ordered the execution of Tabitha for crimes against the Holy Mother. Tabitha was killed during a public hanging. '''Meeting Alathod' When Lelliana was 18, she was chosen by her father to serve as the Reddiganian ambassador to Agathor. She had little choice in this matter, and soon after moved to the Reddiganian embassy in Nyralore. Shortly after arriving, she met prince Alathod, who invited her to attend a royal feast. While at the event, Lelli was sent by King Agathon III to retrieve Alathod from his chambers. When she arrived, she discovered Alathod and a man making love. Alathod forced a blade to her throat and made Lelli swear she would never tell another soul of his secret. With little choice she accepted, and told Alathod that she would never share his secret, as she had personally experienced the ramifications and suffering when dealing with a similar situation. In the months following Lelliana's encounter with Alathod, the two grew closer and eventually became good friends. They had bonded through both having experienced society frowning upon their respective sexual orientations. As a result of their mutual understanding, Alathod proposed that the two should marry, so that they could be seen as normal in the eyes of the public and their families, but still pursue romantic relationships. Lelli jumped at the idea and quickly sent a letter to her father, asking for permission.